How This Gala Celebrated Both Ancient and Modern-Day Cultures in Authentic Ways

LOS ANGELES—The California Science Center accomplishes a difficult task every year: It manages to keep its annual black-tie gala, called the Discovery Ball, from being just another stale fundraising event. Past years have seen eclectic themes ranging from LEGOs to dogs to King Tut’s Tomb, with a fun mix of decor, activities, and catering inspired by whatever exhibit is on display at the museum. 

This year’s 600-guest Discovery Ball—which ultimately raised $1.5 million—was no exception. The April 1 event drew from the center's new “Maya: The Exhibition,” which features 250 authentic artifacts highlighting the ancient Mayan civilizations of Mexico and Central America. Many of the items are on tour outside Guatemala for the first time, and were lent to the museum by the Guatemalan government. During the cocktail reception, festive marimba instruments, accompanied by dancers from Ajpop Tecum, welcomed guests into a central plaza scene. The space included a tiered fountain and 20-foot living trees.Photo: Nadine Froger Photography

To show their appreciation to Guatemala for its help with the exhibition, the science center's event team dedicated this year’s arrivals and cocktail party to a “Bienvenidos a Guatemala” theme. “The cocktail party design was inspired by the idea of bringing vibrant Guatemalan travel posters to life,” explained Christina Sion, the museum’s vice president of food and event services. “Artfully framed travel posters surrounded by authentic Guatemalan textiles lined the walkway for arrivals, and were interspersed with traditionally dressed members of the Mayan cultural groups Ajpop Tecum and the Mundo Maya Foundation.” Throughout the cocktail reception, painted theatrical backings displayed scenes of Guatemala.Photo: Nadine Froger Photography

For Sion, sharing the culture in an authentic way was the event's key objective and challenge. To make sure she and her team got it right, they partnered with Mayan cultural organizations—the Consulate General of Guatemala in Los Angeles and the La Ruta Maya Foundation, as well as the curatorial staff of the exhibit—to help capture the rich culture and history.

The cocktail party featured a number of fun details that evoked both Guatemalan and Mayan culture, including specialty cocktails infused with Guatemalan spirits; a bespoke thatched reception desk; and 50 imported, handmade dolls—all dressed in traditional attire from each of the regions of Guatemala—that playfully presided over a 24-foot bar area. Artwork and carvings depicted the stories of maize and cacao, and a 10-foot Mayan calendar created by current-day Mayan artists (which had been loaned by the Mundo Maya Foundation). “The maize carving served as a poignant backdrop to a masa/tortilla station featuring women in traditional attire, who demonstrated the method of grinding corn as done for generations by Mayans,” added Sion.Photo: Nadine Froger PhotographyDuring the cocktail hour, “Good Gracious' culinary team researched authentic traditional Mayan cuisine and infused Guatemalan spirits and liquors in their three specialty cocktails, including a delicious agua fresca," said Sion, adding that Border Grill Catering provided a popular ceviche station in a bougainvillea-draped thatched hut.Photo: Nadine Froger PhotographyIn a popular photo op, guests could pose with live donkeys, which Sion describes as her favorite detail of the evening. "We asked [floral designer] CJ Matsumoto to create special festive wreaths for them to wear—they were so darling!" she said.Photo: Nadine Froger Photography

To mark the procession to dinner, guests followed costumed dancers who performed the “Dance of the Deer,” a traditional Guatemalan dance. The dinner party took on an “Under the Mayan Sky” theme, including custom gobos of the zodiac animals found in the stars that ancient Mayans employed to create the first Mayan calendar.  

The dinner further immersed guests in the theme in a variety of creative ways. The palette for the dinner tables, for example, was inspired by the semiprecious stones and minerals valued by ancient Mayans, which included jade, obsidian, and mother-of-pearl accompanied by gold details. Guatemalan “worry dolls” added whimsy to guests’ place settings—and doubled as party favors. There was also a custom-designed stage and painted backdrop that evoked the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal. A custom-designed stage by Special Event Contractors that resembled the iconic stairs of Tikal—Mayan ruins found in Guatemala—was complemented by a 60-by-20-foot painted theatrical backing of the ancient temple, along with 16- to 20-foot live palm trees courtesy of Jackson Shrub Supply.Photo: Nadine Froger Photography“Edge Design & Decor created custom-made mother-of-pearl tables that were interspersed among the beautiful green jade and black obsidian tablecloths from Cloth Connection," said Sion. "CJ Matsumoto’s centerpieces included containers and accents that resembled ancient stone ruins along with calla lilies, which are prevalent in the Mayan regions to this day."Photo: Nadine Froger Photography

Logistically, Sion’s team faced a unique challenge this year: The public opening of "Maya: The Exhibition" was taking place the morning after the gala. This led to some layout changes to ensure the museum was fully cleaned up that evening, she noted.

“We decided to plan a progressive party so that guests made their way from one side of our buildings to the other and never double-backed to see the exhibit after dinner or to leave from the same building where they entered,” she said, noting that the change allowed her team to load out the cocktail party as soon as guests moved to dinner. “We moved valet pickup and coat check to the exit of the party so guests would not be inconvenienced, and our next day’s visitors never saw signs that a large party took place the night prior.” After dinner, guests could dance on an LED infinity dance floor by LA Partyworks to a 12-piece Miami Sound Machine cover band, or relax in the “Cacao Lounge” next door that featured a guitar player and chocolate-themed dessert stations.Photo: Leroy Hamilton/Photography by Hamilton

For Sion—who has been planning events at the California Science Center for decades—this year’s gala called for even more celebration than usual: It was the venue’s 25th anniversary and the last year that the Discovery Ball would be held underneath the wings of the retired orbiter Endeavour, which is being moved to the museum’s upcoming 200,000-square-foot Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. To celebrate, the evening started with an up-close look at the under-construction addition, where the museum’s CEO greeted guests in a specially designed viewing area. Guests started the evening by viewing the site of the upcoming Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, which will double the California Science Center's education exhibit areas and serve as the new permanent home for the Endeavour shuttle.Photo: Leroy Hamilton/Photography by Hamilton

“We wanted to convey this excitement at this year’s gala by making the event very upbeat and festive with live music throughout every facet of the event, vibrant colors in lighting and decor, highly creative food and beverage options, a 12-piece dance band, an LED infinity dance floor, and engaging activations,” summed up Sion. “We purposefully kept the program remarks shorter than usual in order to keep the momentum of a fun party vibe throughout the duration of the evening.”

She added, “It was a true joy to see our guests having a really great time, especially given the last few years of managing the challenges associated with the pandemic. Guests did not want to leave!”

VENDORS:
Auction: The Benefit Auctioneers
Audiovisual Production: Orange County Audio Visual Solutions
Carpet: Primo XL
Catering: Good Gracious Events, Inc.
Catering (Crew): Command Performance Catering
Catering (Specialty): ChocoVivo, MezcalTing, Border Grill Catering
Cleaning: Flipside Event Cleaning Services
Decor: Backdrops Beautiful, Jackson Shrub Supply Inc.
Decor, Fabrication: Edge Design & Decor
Design, Production, Venue: California Science Center
Entertainment: Fortune Entertainment, Reptacular Animals
Fabrication: Special Event Contractors
Flowers: CJ Matsumoto & Sons
Graphic Design: i five Design
Lighting: Images by Lighting
Photo Booth, Photography (Candids): Snap Yourself!
Photography (Press): Leroy Hamilton/Photography by Hamilton
Photography (Decor): Nadine Froger Photography
Printing: Automation Printing Company
Rentals (Specialty Linens): Cloth Connection, LA PartyWorks Inc.
Rentals: Town and Country Event Rentals
Valet: Everpark Inc.